NEW YORK — The concessions are part of the experience of attending a baseball game, for diehard and casual fans. The reality is not everyone in the stands on any given day cares about what’s happening on the field. Those people are there to be entertained, and food is a major draw for them.
The New York Yankees want the game experience to appeal to all different types of fans, and their food and beverage offerings reflect this aim. The club unveiled its new concession items for 2026 on Tuesday, and The Athletic was there to taste everything.
To rank each item I tried, I’m bringing back the highly scientific YSC+ stat that I introduced in 2023. Just like baseball’s “plus” stats, 100 is average. Any number above or below 100 means a Yankee Stadium concession is above or below average. So, a 125 YSC+ would mean it’s 25 percent better than the average concession item.
The only new items I did not try were the Lobel’s pastrami fries, the sticky que chicken sandwich and the Bird Dog 2.0, a loaded split-beef dog. I have a mustard allergy, and each of those items contains mustard. I’ve found concession workers usually won’t alter any items because they’re busy, so I didn’t want to grade anything with a missing ingredient. These rankings are serious business, and the sanctity of the process cannot be compromised in any way.
For those appalled that an MLB stadium serves anything other than hot dogs, peanuts, Cracker Jacks and soda in 2026, fear not. Those options remain widely available.
Now, let’s rank some food.
The All-StarsMini dessert “chicken” bucket
Where to buy: Sections 125 and 318
Vendor: Legends Global
Price: $10.99
YSC+: 180
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
This was the buzziest new item the Yankees introduced for 2026, and it plays off the chicken tender bucket, a concession staple at Yankee Stadium. It’s a drumstick-shaped ice cream with a chocolate-covered pretzel center, a coating of white chocolate and candied corn flakes, served in a mini chicken bucket.
I have a feeling these are going to be a big hit this summer. It’s not just a viral food offering you take a picture of just to say you tried it. It’s legitimately great. I’m already looking forward to the videos of people pranking their friends who think they got them chicken, only to discover that it’s ice cream when they bite into it.
The Wind-Up
Where to buy: Available at any bar
Vendor: Yankee Stadium bars
Price: $24.49, with souvenir cup
YSC+: 175
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Mannnnnnnnnnn. This is the drink of the summer at the stadium. They’ll have these watermelon margaritas on tap at the bars inside the ballpark. Some people may think the watermelon is too sweet; I didn’t. I had several of them before leaving the stadium on Tuesday. Make sure you get one of these on that first hot weekend game of the year.
Loaded fries
Where to buy: Sections 109, 205, 331
Vendor: Fuku
Price: $17.99
YSC+: 160
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Loved this. The sweet and spicy sauce on the chicken tenders was perfect. The waffle fries were crisp. I did want a bit more of the jalapeño dust for more heat, but alas. This is one of the items that I’ll be venturing out of the press box for this season.
MVP burger
Where to buy: Section 227
Vendor: Legends Global
Price: $21.99
YSC+: 155
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
I’m a fan of the 99 burger they’ve sold at the stadium for the past few years. The MVP burger is better. Maybe that’s because I’m a big fan of having onion rings on burgers; I like the crunch they provide. Or maybe it’s because, in addition to onion rings, this has caramelized onions, too. Give me all of the onions.
The MVP burger comes with two wagyu beef patties, American cheese, the aforementioned onions, tomato-bacon jam, secret sauce and pickles on a brioche bun. It’s quite expensive for a burger, so you’ll have to be willing to splurge.
Mozzarella en Carrozza
Where to buy: Section 105
Vendor: Christian Petroni
Price: $13.99
YSC+: 140
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
I’ll be candid here: I was pressured into redoing my initial score. The first bite I had was not great. It was cold, and the mozzarella had already hardened. You want your fried mozzarella to have a cheese pull.
A Yankees staffer informed me that this was his favorite out of all the new dishes. A chef remade it for me, and I had my second one straight out of the oven. It was a critical difference — these are spectacular hot. The breading has a nice crunch to it, and the marinara is flavorful. If you’re thinking of getting these at the stadium, you gotta ask if they’re hot. If they aren’t, you’re going to be disappointed.
The Hot ProspectsAngry Lobster Roll
Where to buy: Sections 115, 334
Vendor: King’s Hawaiian
Price: $24.99
YSC+: 130
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
The togarashi spice on top takes this lobster roll to another level. I feel like I’d have been a bit underwhelmed without the togarashi, so if you’ve never heard of it, don’t be alarmed. The lobster tasted fresh, and the roll was buttery soft. It’s a steep price, but it’s a lobster roll at Yankee Stadium, so you kind of expect that.
Thin-Crust, Bar-Style Hot Oil Pizza
Where to buy: Sections 125 and 310
Vendor: Colony Grill
Price: $13.49
YSC+: 125
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
So hear me out: There are many world-class pizza places in New York City and several I still need to try, such as Lucali, Ceres, L’Industrie and L&B Spumoni Gardens. Among those I’ve had, my top three are Scarr’s, Angelo’s Coal Oven Pizzeria and John’s of Bleeker Street. None of those spots is close to Yankee Stadium, and they’re much different than this bar pie served by Colony Grill. But for stadium pizza, this is about as good as it gets. It’s legit.
I had the hot oil one, which is a cheese slice topped with serrano pepper-infused olive oil and “stinger” pepper. I didn’t think it was spicy at all. If anything, the pepper elevates the standard cheese pie, giving it more flavor. If you’re craving pizza, this is a great option.
Apple Pie Nachos
Where to buy: Sections 110, 125, 217 and 318
Vendor: Mister Softee
Price: Unknown
YSC+: 120
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
By the time I had this, I had already consumed two “chicken” ice creams, an affogato and the apple pie dumplings. And yet, I wanted to eat this entire dish. The warm apples with the Mister Softee ice cream — yes, please. My one complaint is that the waffle chips break too easily. With a dessert called “nachos,” I’d imagine the idea is to use the waffle chips as a scooper for the apples and ice cream, but it’s impossible to eat it this way. Just get a spoon and go to town.
Pasta Plates
Where to buy: Section 105
Vendor: Christian Petroni
Price: $13.99
YSC+: 115
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Christian Petroni will serve three different pastas: alla vodka, eight-hour marinara and arrabbiata. I only had the arrabbiata, and it was still good cold. I did wish that the arrabbiata had a bit more kick, but the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. However, one thought crossed my mind: Who will want to eat this in the dead of summer when it’s 90-plus degrees?
Mac & Cheese Dumpling
Where to buy: Sections 108, 213, 321 and Bleachers 201
Vendor: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
Price: $14.49
YSC+: 105
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Out of all of the new dumplings, I was convinced these were going to be the worst, but read on for my takes on the rest. These are essentially just fried mac and cheese, which I don’t think you can ever go wrong with. I love mac and cheese bites so much they were among the hors d’oeuvres at my wedding. Brooklyn Dumpling Shop describes their mac and cheese dumplings as “ditalini pasta smothered in three-cheese gooey goodness,” which is an apt description.
The ReplacementsAffogato
Where to buy: Section 105
Vendor: Christian Petroni
Price: $6.99
YSC+: 100
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed this. I’m not even a coffee drinker; I may be the only sportswriter in America who does not consume copious amounts of coffee. I may have one or two lattes a month, but that’s about it. But affogatos at a baseball game seems a bit silly to me. I know many people would prefer the Yankees have regular coffee at the stadium, but if you need a caffeine fix, this could do the job.
Chicken Parm Sando
Where to buy: Sections 115, 334
Vendor: King’s Hawaiian
Price: $13.99
YSC+: 90
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
I have a feeling these are going to be hyped in food conversations that they do not belong in. Think of this sandwich as the Luis Arraez of concession items. Broadcasters talk about Arraez as if he’s one of the game’s greats because he doesn’t strike out much. And then you look more closely at his numbers and realize the “only” thing he’s good at is hitting singles. The only good thing about this sandwich is the pretzel bun. The chicken tastes like an unseasoned frozen chicken patty, which is then topped with congealed mozzarella. Yum.
Italian Sausage Empanadas
Where to buy: Sections 107, 232 and “Grab & Go” at Section 223
Vendor: Nuchas Empanadas
Price: $13.49
YSC+: 85
The potential is there for this to be good. But it gets dinged significantly because the dough for the empanada isn’t great. I want my empanadas to be crispy and flaky. These are so doughy and gummy that it takes away from the flavor inside.
Chicken Parm Dumplings
Where to buy: Sections 108, 213, 321 and Bleachers 201
Vendor: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
Price: $14.49
YSC+: 80
The Yankees released two chicken parm items, and somehow, both are mediocre. It’s pretty hard to screw up chicken parm, one of the best dishes on the planet, but the Yankees found a way. I’m not saying these are terrible, but they’ve got to be hot and fresh to have any chance of being good. I want to give Brooklyn Dumpling Shop the benefit of the doubt, but if mine were cold at a tasting event, how will they be when mass-produced for a game?
The DFA CandidatesApple Pie Dumplings
Where to buy: Sections 108, 213, 321 and Bleachers 201
Vendor: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
Price: $14.49
YSC+: 75
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
I wanted so badly to enjoy these, but they were underwhelming. If there are two apple desserts, it immediately becomes a competition between them. The apple pie nachos bested the dumplings by a lot. The apple pie dumplings are also high variance. If they’ve been sitting out, avoid them.
Bacon Cheeseburger Dumplings
Where to buy: Sections 108, 213, 321 and Bleachers 201
Vendor: Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
Price: $14.49
YSC+: 65
I greatly enjoy bacon cheeseburgers, but inside a dumpling? Found out that I hated them. To me, these were nasty. I took one bite and instantly regretted my decision. Also, these have a “touch” of ketchup inside the dumplings. Who enjoys hot ketchup?
Pinto Bean Empanadas
Where to buy: Sections 107, 232 and “Grab & Go” at Section 223
Vendor: Nuchas Empanadas
Price: $13.49
YSC+: 0
(Courtesy of the New York Yankees)
Ummmmmmmmm. Yeah. I recommend Court Deli, which is up the hill from the stadium. Eat there before walking inside. These were an affront to empanadas.